Audio – Page 12 – Survivors: A World Away

Big Finish release first details of Survivors fifth series of audios

The fifth series of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures (scheduled for release in November 2016) will focus on the outbreak and spread of a second deadly virus – which threatens the survival of communities only now emerging from the aftermath of The Death.

Recording of series five is now well underway, and features scripts by three returning Survivors script writers: Simon Clark (Contact, series three); Andrew Smith (Judges, series one; Rescue, series three); and Christopher Hatherall (Collision, series four).

It has also been revealed that series five will also feature Doctor Who actors Neve McIntosh and Richard Hope. Also joining original cast members Carolyn Seymour, Ian McCulloch, Lucy Fleming will be the returning Fiona Sheehan, and Barnaby Edwards, Sean Biggerstaff, Andy Secombe, Fintan McKeown, Alex Clatworthy, Roger May and Elizabeth Payne. Further casting announcements are to follow. Read the full update from Big Finish below:

Survivors: Doctor Who stars join Series 5!

Big Finish’s post-apocalyptic series continues in November – with Neve McIntosh and Richard Hope joining the fight for survival!

It begins with just a few people falling ill. Another flu virus that spreads around the globe. And then the reports begin that people are dying…

When most of the world’s population is wiped out, a handful of survivors are left to pick up the pieces.

Cities become graveyards. Technology becomes largely obsolete. Mankind must start again. But viruses are survivors too…

Based on Terry Nation‘s classic television series, Survivors continues the story of a virus-ravaged Britain, featuring the cast and characters of the original program.

Ahead of the June launch of Survivors: Series 4, Big Finish is delighted to announce that recording is underway on November’s Series 5, guest starring a pair of actors well known to Doctor Who fans!

Neve McIntosh and Richard Hope appeared together in the 2010 Doctor Who story The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, portraying classic foes the Silurians. Since then they have become the recurring faces of the creatures for the series, with Neve memorably starring as Madame Vastra, the leader of the Paternoster Gang.

‘We spent a lot of time thinking of potential names to play the pivotal character of Carol Baker in this set,’ says producer David Richardson. ‘And director Ken Bentley presented me with Neve – which I think is inspired casting. This will actually be Neve’s second role for Big Finish. But what was the first? Ah, you’ll have to wait for that announcement!’

Neve and Richard will join the fifth series of Survivors alongside regulars Carolyn Seymour, Ian McCulloch, Lucy Fleming and Fiona Sheehan. Also appearing will be Barnaby Edwards, Sean Biggerstaff, Andy Secombe, Fintan McKeown, Alex Clatworthy, Roger May and Elizabeth Payne with further cast members to be announced.

‘Series 5 could be subtitled The Second Coming,’; says David. ‘It explores a really powerful storyline – what would happen if the plague broke out all over again?’

Survivors: Series 5 will contain four new stories, written by Andrew Smith, Christopher Hatherall and Simon Clark. It can be pre-ordered today for just £25 on CD or £20 to download.

Survivors: Series 4 will be released in June, continuing the story of the Whitecross community and guest starring Zoë Tapper as Evelyn Piper. You can listen to a trailer for the new box-set below:

Three previous series are still available to order, alongside an audiobook of Terry Nation's original novel, performed by Carolyn Seymour.

Big Finish – Survivors – series four cover art published

Audio drama specialists have revealed the cover artwork for the fourth series of original Survivors audio dramas to be released (in CD and digital download formats) in June 2016.

For the first time in the Big Finish Survivors series, this series’ cover features characters from the original TV series – Jenny Richards (Lucy Fleming) and Greg Preston (Ian McCulloch) – who are featured alongside new characters government official Evelyn Piper (Zoë Tapper) and settlement leader Theo (Ramon Tikaram).

Series four will be released in June 2016, and is available for pre-order on the Big Finish site. The first three series of Survivors audios are still available for purchase, alongside the audiobook version of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel. Series five will be released in November 2016.

Big Finish – Survivors series 4 – first trailer released

Audio drama specialists Big Finish have released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming fourth series of new and original Survivors audio adventures.

Survivors series one box sets just waiting to be snapped up

Big Finish ‘Apocalypse Now’ offers this weekend

This weekend (23-24 January 2016) audio-drama specialists Big Finish are offering ‘Apocalypse Now’ special deals on the whole of the current Survivors range and the Night of the Triffids audio adaptation. If you’ve yet to experience the wonder of these post-apocalyptic audio adventures, this weekend is the ideal time to become fully immersed and bag a bargain in the process! But be aware that the ‘end is nigh’: the special offers end at 12noon on Monday 25 January 2016.

This weekend you can enjoy special savings on the end of the world, with offers on our favourite apocalypses…

Until noon Monday January 25th, you can pick up some dark tales after the fall of humanity with our Apocalypse Now offers. We start the weekend with the award-nominated Survivors: Series 1, our continuation of Terry Nation's cult BBC TV series.

Starring Lucy Fleming, Ian McCulloch, John Banks, Louise Jameson, Chase Masterson and Sinead Keenan, this terrifying box-set takes place in and around the original TV series, which chronicled a deadly plague wiping out most human life on Earth. With people forced to make terrible sacrifices in order to survive, can mankind start again?

Featuring stories written by Matt Fitton, Jonathan Morris, Andrew Smith and John Dorney, you can buy Survivors: Series 1 today for just £15 on CD, or £12 to download. And remember, when you choose to buy this release on CD directly from Big Finish, you will also unlock instant access to a digital copy for download.

Also available is our audiobook reading of Terry Nation's original novel, read by series star Carolyn Seymour. Adapting and expanding on the first series of TV episodes, you can own this today for just £10 on both CD or to download.

Finally we go from one cult apocalypse to another, with a full-cast adaptation of The Night of the Triffids by Simon Clark. A sequel to John Wyndham's classic horror The Day of the Triffids, this double-disc CD story stars Sam Troughton and Nicola Bryant, surviving on the Isle of Wight while the carnivorous and semi-intelligent Triffids continue to engulf the mainland. You can buy and download the story today for just £5 on both CD and to download.

All three titles can also be picked up as part of our Apocalypse Bundles – which also contain Survivors Series 2 and Series 3, together at a reduced price of just £85 on CD or £75 to download. But hurry, the special prices must end noon Monday 25th January.

(Or at the end of the world. Whichever comes first…)

Big Finish Survivors cast join other Big Finish dramas

Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant) is appearing in the Big Finish Doctor Who story The War Doctor, starring John Hurt and Jacqueline Pearce, in the role of ‘The Slave’. Writer and director Nick Briggs recalls that Hurt and Seymour knew each other from earlier in their respective careers. ‘They hadn’t seen each other for about 40 years’, explains Briggs, ‘but they were delighted to be able to chat again.’ John Banks (Daniel Connor) also appears in The War Doctor in the role of Garv.

The War Doctor imprint has the same producer (David Richardson) and script editor (Matt Fitton) team as work on the Big Finish Survivors audios.

Cast from The War Doctor, including Carolyn Seymour and John Banks

Seymour also appears as Mrs Multravers in the Jago and Litefoot and Strax story The Haunting; and features in Doctor Who: The Churchill Years, Volume One, released in January 2016.

Carolyn Seymour at Big Finish

Zoë Tapper, soon to appear in the fourth series of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures, as Evie, appears in The Martian Chronicles, which stars Derek Jacobi in the role of Captain Wilde. This adaptation of the celebrated sci-fi novel, which won a Silver at the 2015 New York Festivals’ World’s Best Radio Program Awards, was commissioned by BBC Radio 4 and is now available for purchase as a Big Finish release.

Tapper will also feature in The War Doctor Volume 02: Infernal Devices, released in February 2016, in the role of Collis.

Zoe Tapper (with John Altman) in The Martian Chronicles

Writer Simon Clark discusses Survivors series three episode Contact

Author, scriptwriter and long-time Survivors enthusiast Simon Clark discusses the writing of third series Big Finish Survivors episode Contact in a brand new interview. Clark recalls the time he visited the studio to listen to the actors at work.

I have to put on record what how terrific it was to be there at the recording. It is marvellous, heart-warming, and it’s hard to put into words the emotion that filled me when I sat there in the studio and heard the actors bring my script to life in such a vivid and powerful way.

Big Finish confirm titles and writers for Survivors series four audio adventures

Scheduled for release in June 2016, Big Finish have today (2 December) confirmed the episode titles, summaries and scriptwriters for the four episodes of the fourth series of Survivors audio adventures.

Based on Terry Nation’s cult post-apocalyptic drama, Survivors: Series 4 presents a quartet of new stories from the world of the original television programme.

After the harrowing events of Survivors: Series 3, the new series finds Greg (Ian McCulloch) and Jenny (Lucy Fleming) out on the road, reaching out to other survivors on behalf of the Whitecross Community. Their journey will bring them back into contact with Jackie (Louise Jameson) and Molly (Fiona Sheehan) – and a new community headed by Theo, an inspirational leader played by Ramon Tikaram (UNIT: The New Series, The Prisoner, Happy Valley).

‘I’m delighted that the first three series met with such acclaim,’ says producer David Richardson, ‘and I’m very excited by the new story lines that script editor Matt Fitton and his team of writers have been spinning. There are plenty of shocking twists and turns yet to come…’

Survivors: Series 4 comprises four full-cast dramas, and also features bonus behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew.

4.1 The Old Ways by Ken Bentley

The Government has plans for a national state of emergency. But when Evelyn Piper and her colleagues shelter in the Tartarus bunker, they discover no amount of planning can prepare for the reality of the Death…

4.2 For the Good of the Cause by Louise Jameson

One old friend calls on Greg and Jenny to look after another. Together, they visit a utopian community where the inspirational Theo seems to have founded the perfect way of life…

4.3 Collision by Christopher Hatherall

When the old world collides with the new, casualties are unavoidable. While Greg and Theo work together for the future, Jenny tries to save lives – with the help of a troubled young man called Michael…

4.4 Forgive and Forget by Matt Fitton

As long-buried crimes surface, resentment and recrimination threaten to destroy the peace of the Foundation. Jenny, Jackie and Molly have their own trials to bear, and Greg confronts the truth of this new world head on. For some, nothing will ever be the same…

Survivors: Series 4 is due for release in June 2016, with Series 5 following in November 2016. Both series can be pre-ordered today for just £25 each on CD, or £20 to download. And remember, when you choose to buy this release on CD directly from Big Finish, you will also unlock instant access to a digital copy for download.

Zoë Tapper (Survivors, 2008) joins the cast of new original series Survivors audios from Big Finish

Big Finish have today (2 December 2015) revealed that Zoë Tapper, who played the role of doctor Anya Raczynski in both series of the BBC’s TV remake of Survivors in 2008-2010 will be joining the cast of series four of Big Finish’s new Survivors audio adventures, set in the time and place of the original 1975 TV series.

Tapper will be taking on the role of new character government official Evelyn Piper “who listeners will first encounter in a flashback to the beginnings of the plague that decimated the globe”. At the time of the making of the first series of the Survivors remake, Tapper conceded that she was not particularly aware of the original TV incarnation of Survivors, but is delighted at being given the opportunity to return to the context of the original series and join new and original stories set in the world first devised by dramatist Terry Nation.

Recording on series four of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures will take place early in 2016, with the fourth series scheduled for release in June 2016 (with series five following in November 2016).

Series three of the Big Finish Survivors audios was released earlier this month, and was greeted with an immediately positive critical reception, and is available to buy in both CD and digital download formats. Series one and series two, and an unabridged audiobook of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel, are all available for purchase from Big Finish. The award-nominated first series opening episode Revelation is available as a free download from the Big Finish site.

Richard Heffer and Carolyn Seymour discuss being reunited for Survivors audios

In two exclusive new interviews, Richard Heffer (Jimmy Garland) and Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant) discuss turning the clock back forty years to return to their shared Survivors storyline in series three of the new Survivors audio adventures from Big Finish.

Says Seymour of finding more and more of the original Survivors cast being reunited for the Big Finish audio dramas:

it’s wonderful to meet everybody who was in the series before – the original group. A lot of the acting peers in my age group have gone. So seeing the ones that are still alive, and connecting like we did – because we were so close – is heaven.

Heffer suggests that the character of Jimmy Garland has remained:

a person who was always in the back of my head. He was very like the character in The Mad Death. Obviously he was posher, and one of the things he represented in Survivors was that sort of paternalistic view of things from an earlier era. It was a really interesting part, and one of the sort of roles that did, I suppose, often come my way.

Richard Heffer and Carolyn Seymour - series three - Big Finish - Survivors

Paul Thornley reflects on the character of John ‘Vinnie’ Vincent

In a new and exclusive interview recorded at the Big Finish studios, Paul Thornley discusses his role as the chilling and ‘rage fuelled’ Vinnie Vincent, in series three of the Survivors audio adventures. Says Thornley of the character of Vinnie, the would-be governor of post-apocalyptic Britain:

He thinks of himself as a ‘great thinker’, and as an astute mind. He sees Abby as the same. He sees something in her, and he can’t quite understand why she can’t see it in him. “The two of us – we could be great together!” – he reckons.